With most of the world reeling under the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and the entire country under lockdown, the wise thing now will be to maintain social distancing, and stay indoors. That doesn't mean some of us don't dream of hitting the roads, and trails, on our bikes. However big the temptation may be, now is not the time to step outside, so stay put, catch up on some reading, and ride vicariously, through some of the best adventure bikes that we have had the pleasure of reviewing, and writing about.
Riding motorcycles off-road can be addictive. We are not even kidding about this!
This list also includes our experience of some off-road events from the likes of Triumph, Ducati and BMW that we've had the pleasure of attending and learning a few things about riding off-road. And these experiences also helped us in more ways than one, not just in learning a few things, but also practicing and honing our skills of muscling big adventure bikes in the dirt. So, here goes, then. Spend some time reading about these, and whatever your level of riding experience, or skills may be, you just may end up getting some inspiration to go riding off-road once the lockdown ends.
The Tiger 900 feels much more manageable on tough terrain and has better punch down the rev range too
Triumph Tiger 900
The Triumph Tiger 900 is the newest adventure bike in the market, and with the current coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, it may be still a few months before the all-new Tiger is launched in India. But we've had a blast riding it in Morocco, earlier this year, and it definitely is one bike we'll be looking forward to spending some more saddle time back home, here in India.
Read: Triumph Tiger 900 First Ride Review
The KTM 390 Adventure offers you solid bang for your buck. It needs skills but is quite capable.
KTM 390 Adventure
The baby KTM Adventure is here! And it certainly has the capability to take you places, if a real adventure on two wheels is what you're looking for. An excellent, free-revving motor, borrowed from the KTM 390 Duke, lots of ground clearance, as well as suspension travel, give the 390 Adventure all that's required to meet every rider's most adventure needs. In our books, it's one of the best value for money adventure bikes available on sale right now!
Read: KTM 390 Adventure First Ride Review
The BMW R 1250 GS has all-round capability and versatility
BMW R 1250 GS
The big daddy of adventure bikes, the BMW R 1250 GS, may seem like a daunting prospect for riders not exposed to off-road riding. It has the comfort and performance to be an outstanding touring bike. But it's also a superb bike to handle in the dirt, despite its size and weight. In the hands of a rider with the right skills, and even for less experienced riders, the big GS offers a level of confidence very few bikes can give!
Read: BMW R 1250 GS Review
The Scrambler 1200 XC offers true-blue off-road capability
Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC, the only variant available on sale in India, takes the off-road capability of the Triumph Scrambler many notches higher. With a punchy parallel-twin engine with a hammer of torque, the Scrambler 1200 XC is not for the faint-hearted, yet it keeps things in check with its advanced electronics package. Needless to say, we had a whole lot of fun riding it around the Himalayan foothills, and it can certainly give many an ADV a run for its money off-road!
Read: Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC Review
Both the Hero XPulse and the Royal Enfield Himalayan are absolute hoots to ride. If you are a novice off-roader, these bikes are great tools to cut your teeth on
Hero XPulse VS Royal Enfield Himalayan
The battle of the entry-level adventure bikes. Both budget friendly adventure bikes, both boasting of it all, long distance touring, dual-sport capability and being fun and relatively light to handle. We had a lot of fun putting these two motorcycles head to head, and came back impressed with each bike's unique capability. Ultimately, it will depend on what you expect from your adventure bike, that will make the choice of one over the other, as we found out!
Read: Hero XPulse Vs Royal Enfield Himalayan Comparison Review
Both the BMW F 850 GS and the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx are both very capable middleweight adventure bikes
BMW F 850 GS Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
The battle of the middleweight adventure bikes! Both these bikes have their own set of fans, the F 850 GS for its superb off-road capability, and the Tiger 800 for its versatility. Needless to say, we had a tough time deciding one over the other, and it will eventually boil down to individual preference, to choose a winner. But that didn't stop us from having fun reviewing these two extremely capable adventure bikes!
Also Read: BMW F 850 GS Vs Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
The Honda Africa Twin is a very capable off-road machine and easy to manouevre
Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin Review
The Honda Africa Twin, the understated adventure bike which seems to have a steady set of fans, even here in India. It's the only adventure bike with an automatic gearbox, and despite what the spec sheet says, the Africa Twin is a very entertaining, and extremely capable machine. Yes, it's right up there with the very best adventure bikes, and we have always wished to have more saddle time with the Africa Twin. The new one with the bigger engine is still some time away, but even the old one is a memorable off-road machine!
Read: Honda Africa Twin Review
One can't help resist raising a dust storm when riding a big, burly ADV
BMW GS Experience
The BMW Motorrad GS Experience was the perfect platform to get familiar with big, burly ADV bikes. The 2019 BMW GS Experience taught us just that - how to make the most of your big adventure bike, how to handle it, and what to keep in mind, when heading down that off-road trail. Needless to say, it was quite a learning experience.
Read: 2019 BMW Motorrad GS Experience
I see dirt, I will slide! The Ducati Multistrada Enduro is a proper beast of a motorcycle
Ducati DRE Off-Road Experience
Riding a heavyweight ADV bike may be easy, as long as you're on tarmac. But it's an entirely different ballgame once you leave the comfort of tarmac and take on technical off-road obstacles. The Ducati Riding Experience (DRE) Off-Road Days was one such experience where the instructors gave us tips and showed us the tricks to handle heavy adventure bikes off-road. It was certainly an eye opener, and a unique learning experience which definitely boosted our confidence to go dirty dancing with a heavy adventure bike.
Read: Ducati DRE Off-Road Ride Experience
The Triumph Tiger Academy opened up new possibilities for all participants
Triumph Tiger Training Academy
Falling is part and parcel of off-road riding. And tackling technical hilly terrain in the middle of the monsoon will give you plenty of opportunities to master the art of falling off an adventure bike. That is what the Triumph Tiger Training Academy taught us - to explore the off-road capability of the Triumph Tiger 800, falling over slick terrain, mud, slush and slick rock, it was an experience of off-road riding at the deep end. One of the first off-road training experiences that we ever attended, it was en eye opener to a whole new world of off-road riding!
Read: Triumph Tiger Training Academy Ride Experience
Riding the very exclusive and very expensive Sherco 450 Dakar in Merzouga, Morocco
Sherco-TVS Enduro Rally Ride Experience
The Sherco-TVS Factory Rally Team has a whole range of enduro and rally bikes designed and developed specifically for motorsport events. And what better terrain than the dunes of the Sahara Desert to experience these bikes? It was one of the most memorable experiences, of riding these bikes in Merzouga, Morocco, on the dunes of the Sahara! And needless to say, a lot of adrenaline flowed! A definitely fun and memorable experience, indeed!
Read: Sherco-TVS Enduro Rally Ride Experience
Getting some air time with the Sherco-TVS RTR 450 FX
Sherco-TVS RTR 450 FX
Riding a rally bike is not a matter of just getting on and going off. We spent some time riding the Sherco TVS RTR 450 FX, tuned by TVS, and got some invaluable riding tips from the then Sherco TVS Factory Rally Team members - Joan Pedrero, Adrien Metge and India's Aravind KP. It was one memorable day, riding those bikes at the TVS Racing's supercross test track near Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
Read: Sherco-TVS RTR 450 FX First Ride Review
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